DEVELOPMENT OF MINIATURE MAGNETOMETERS

Some of the highlights of the ongoing program within the Sensor Scienc e Group of APL's Milton S. Eisenhower Research and Technology Developm ent Center to develop novel magnetometers are summarized. In particula r, two approaches are described: a magnetostrictive device based on th e deflection of a Terfenol-D coated single-crystal silicon cantilever and a Lorentz-force device based on a classical xylophone resonator. B oth magnetometers, even though at early stages of development, are sta re of the art in terms of sensitivity and offer a number of advantages for field applications: small size, high sensitivity, integration on a silicon chip, and vector capability. Using standard microelectromech anical system (MEMS) machining techniques, both classes-together with others under consideration-can be fabricated into planar three-axis ma gnetometers and into one- or two-dimensional arrays for magnetic imagi ng applications.